Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Still loved after all these years

When Simeon was about 2 years old a toy store went out of business and all their Thomas Trains were half off. That started our collection of these awesome wooden trains. We've added to our collection over the years.

Rebecca asked to get them out and make a track to play with. We used almost every track we had and made a really big and fun track. When the big kids came home they all gravitated to the track and started playing on it together.


I love how all the kids play with them and have such a fun time together. Simeon and Ammon made the longest train they could. Rebecca was being as patient as she could be with their train that was getting in her way and braking because it was so long.

These cute trains will be part of our family for many years to come. They've already earned a spot in the "Keep for the Grandkids" collection!


Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Rebecca's sleeping habits

This sweet Rebecca girl of ours has decided that sleeping in her big girl bed is for the birds. She'd rather sleep on the rug on her wood floor, the unfinished end of her bed (which will eventually become a bookshelf, when I'm sure she won't end up sleeping in it) and the latest place the pack-n-play. 


Why she thinks these places are better places to sleep then her comfortable twin bed is beyond us. We've decided this is a battle that we don't need to fight. She's sleeping and she's comfortable so for now we're letting her sleep in her crazy places wearing pretty much whatever she's choosing to sleep in. 

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Some weeks are like that

This week has been the typical busy, fun filled almost the end of the school year week. We had baseball games, baseball practices, softball games, taekwondo, 5/6th grade track meet, orchestra concert, advanced band tour and band ice skating party. You know the normal stuff with 3 kids in school and activities.

But you see the boys decided to make things a little bit more interesting for us.

Wednesday morning Simeon woke up with a sore right hip. He was limping, but feeling alright. This was track meet day. A day the kids look forward to all year long. To make it even more exciting was that it was being held at City High School and since our school is so close the kids got to walk. I seriously had tears in my eyes when I saw our 5th and 6th graders coming in the gate on the top of the field. I've been pretty teary about alot lately. I think between feeling overwhelmed with joy that Simeon's made it to these milestones and still getting back to my 'normal' after a very long hard winter with SAD.

Well anyways he ran in the 300 meter dash and was pretty slow. He told us his head and hip hurt afterwards. Then he did the triple toss and his team got 22 throws. An alright amount, but they'd done better during practice. Then he did the agility course and he plowed through one of the obstacles rather then duck under it. When he was done he came to us and said his hip hurt REALLY bad and he didn't think he could walk back to school and asked to go home. WHAT-Simeon wanted to leave the track meet that he'd been looking forward to for weeks instead of cheering on his friends.
He must be in pain.
We brought him home and had him rest. I rested too and got a short nap in before Ammon jumped on my bed and told me he's fallen at recess and hurt his finger. I feel back asleep and forgot about that little hurt finger.
Fast forward a few hours. Ammon had a baseball game and did AWESOME! He had 2 giant hits, got 4 or 5 rbi's and scored twice himself. All while nursing his sore pinky. We left the game early to get Corrine to her Orchestra concert. While there Ammon starts looking pale and tired and eventually lays down in his chair.
Now its Thursday morning. Simeon is very obviously limping and in pain. Ammon's right pinky is black on both knuckles and looks like a stripped puffy sausage. Time to call the doctor for both of them.
I know I've said before how much I like our pediatrician  but let me say it again. I really like the guy. He is mellow, straight forward, doesn't like to give meds unless truly necessarily, patient and just a good guy all around. And I should add he kept Ammon breathing for an hour and caught Simeon's leukemia. Yah this guy is on our top of the list of awesome people!
He comes in and looks at Ammon's hand and pinky. He's pushing on his finger and hand. Ammon jumps when he touches a certain spot on his finger, but not on his hand. The diagnosis he broke the pinky, but the hand seems to be alright. He gets a splint and Ammon asks a million questions likes normal and Dr. Boysen answers them like the great guy he is.

Then he takes a look at Simeon's hip. He starts pushing on it and moving it around and Simeon's pain level shoots way up. Concern. That was the look on the Dr. Boyson's face. So many different possibilities that it could be. So many scary things, but he only lets on to 2 things. Could be a long term side effect from all the chemo Simeon had to be with us today. Could be an infection. I keep the possibility of it being a leukemia tumor hidden away so as not to scare the kids. Rebecca's there with us too and she's just starting to understand what cancer is and what Simeon went through.
We leave with the x-rays orders and head to the hospital next door. We drop Simeon off because by this time he's not walking very good.
The radiologist think we're a hoot when he get there with a splinted finger, a limping boy and a mom who just needs to find the nearest bathroom asap. Man I drink alot of water these days!
When I come back in from the restroom I saw all 3 kids with their noses buried in books. Simeon's reading a book to Rebecca, whose asked him to read it to her, but now she's into her own book, and Ammon who I couldn't drag away from his book if I tried.

Simeon gets his x-rays done and is in even more pain. The froggy lay he had to do was so painful. They did x-rays of both hips to compare and one of his right femur just in case. I text Johann my concern so the kids don't hear anything. He's alarmed now, but all we can do it wait.
The next 3 hours are some of the slowest 3 hours.
Thankfully we get the results back that everything with his bones look fine. MAJOR bullet dodged today. Soft muscle injury possibly. He's pulled from all sports until early the next week.

Saturday now. Johann and Simeon got back from the 6th grade camp out, got things put away and headed for baseball. Meanwhile I freaked out at a kiddo over not cleaning their room and then felt as guilty as a mom who just yelled at their kid could.
Then Corrine, Ammon & Rebecca ask to go to the park. They make lunches and get all packed to go. I asked them to finish picking up the books on the floor in the boys room.
I'm texting a friend about going out that night when I hear a CRASH and shatter. "See you at 5. Doing the happy dance now! Oh no not anymore. Something just crashed and shattered."
My stomach dropped.
What now.
The kids come running to the door, again in the bathroom-too much water I tell ya. I ask for a 1 word answer-what broke?
"The glass pan that had the scalloped potatoes in it."
The heaviest glass 9 x 13 pan we own. The heaviest glass 9x13 pan that I thought was indestructible. The heaviest 9x13 glass pan we've had for almost 15 years. The one we got as a wedding present that has survived how many drops on the counter and hits in the sink and hot and cold temperature changed.
That one?
Sigh
Yes that one.
The heaviest, biggest, most likely to send glass chunks through the entire kitchen 9 x 13.
Yes that one.
The one in the fridge that has the last bit of scalloped potatoes that should have been thrown out 3 days ago.
Sigh.
Yes that one.


I ask the kids to finish cleaning up the books and set out to clean up that heaviest, most indestructible, wedding present 9x13 glass pan with the last of the scalloped potatoes off the kitchen floor. I find glass on the stove, on the counter, in the fridge, behind something on the counter.
That 9x13 pan had A LOT of glass to break.

It's Sunday evening and Simeon's walking better, but is still fairly sore. He's going to be sitting for 1st half of this week at least. Ammon's moving his finger and using it pretty good. He'd rather be careful and not wear the splint.

I think these boys of ours just wanted to make this week more interesting. Hopefully next week things are quieter and we don't have any more injuries. We have 10 days left of school and we're all looking forward to summer and more down time.

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Life lessons at the Gas Station

Today I realized another reason why I love our van-the middle windows roll down so when I pump gas the kids can be watching and learning how it all works!


Corrine, Ammon & Rebecca loved being able to watch and ask questions about pumping the gas. Ammon & Corrine got out and cleaned the windows for me. They ended up dirtier then before-but it's a learning process.

Ammon turned the camera around and got his view of me pumping the gas.

This may have seemed like such a small thing to someone else at the gas station, but to me it was a big thing. I became a mom to raise our children. To teach them about the world, and in turn to be taught about life. This was a way for me to be able to pass on knowledge that I have to them-even if it was just pumping gas into the van.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Going on Tour

Simeon's been talking about going on tour with the 6th grade band for weeks. Today was the day and we started it off at the wrong school! Thankfully a friend saw us drop Simeon off and called me to figure it out. She was already bringing a van load of kids, so she took him along. 
I was able to chaperone the tour, so I was able to participate in the day with him. There were around 60 kids split between 2 buses, so there was alot of counting and roll taking to make sure all the kids were accounted for.
The kids have gotten really good on their instruments! Next year at South East they are going to sound even better.

Simeon was the only Baritone in the band.

It was a fun day of touring the 3 schools that the band kids come from. We started at Hoover, then went to Longfellow. Then we headed out to the Coralridge Mall for lunch. We ended the day at Lemme playing for their own peers. Dad, Rebecca and Grandma Smith came to hear the performance.
Arianna, April, ??, Julia, Nick, Kayla, Simeon, ?? and Megan (down front).

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Mother's Day 2013


This was a wonderful Mother's Day. Johann and the kids made me breakfast in bed, complete with a Monkey card and iTunes gift card.
When the kids asked what I wanted for Mother's Day I told them a 10 day trip to Hawaii. 5 days with a nanny for the kids, and 5 days without a nanny for family time. Johann said he could fly me there, but that was all. So then I said we could just go to Florida. Again not going to happen. So next best thing-we had a wet weekend with all baseball games cancelled so at the last second we booked a trip to The Wilderness in Wisconsin Dells and headed there for the weekend. It was the perfect get a way and if we couldn't go to Hawaii or Florida this was the next best place.
I love these sweet kids that Johann and I have been entrusted with. They make life entertaining, loud, fun, stressful, full of love, chaotic, meaningful. I'm so greatful to be a mother for the past 12 years.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Our new 12 year old

How in the world did our 1st born child turn 12 years old today? Seriously HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?  Wasn't he just going into elementary school last year?


Now he's just shy of 5 feet tall and his feet are as big as mine. Not only has he grown physically, he has grown mentally and emotionally so much this past year. He's getting more teenager to him then child. It's exciting and somewhat sad to see it happen. What blows my mind the most is that in just 2 years he could have a drivers permit. YES a drivers permit!! Crazy to put it mildly.

Simeon is really growing into a sweet, kind caring young man. He has a serious, get things done side and a very impulsive, do it before thinking side to him. He is very bright and athletic. He LOVES to read, is a bit obsessed with his Nook (and not just for books), loves to camp, loves to talk, wants to do everything he can, is getting quite good at the baritone, is full of energy and loves to listen to grown ups conversations. He's constantly making bows and arrows outside, getting into stick sword battles with Simeon, making up games on his ripstick with Joe and writing in his own language Rickums. We love our Simeon!


A short interview with our newly minted 12 year old Simeon-

What's the best thing about being 12? I get the Aaronic priesthood. I get to go to Southeast Junior High.
Friends- Carter Westlake, Nick Cronk, Sam Lewers, Joe Ring, Kyle Hefferly, Jonathan Brown, Joshua Cahoon and Joe Fischer.
Favorite school subject-Science
When I grow up-Chemist, to find the cure for leukemia cancer.
Favorite books- Legacy and Sentinels (both by R.A. Salvatore & Geno)
Favorite movie-Hobbit
Favorite game or electronic game-PS3 (Skyrim), Nook (Bad Piggies)
Most nervous for this year-getting to class on time at Southeast.
Most excited for at Southeast-LUNCH! I heard they have lots of choices and you don't have to get just one thing, and it's made there and it's fresh from the store that day.

For his birthday breakfast he wanted a bear claw from Day Light donuts. Then we made a mad dash to our early morning Spanish classes. For lunch at school he wanted Taco Bell. He was so sweet and kind to have mom, dad and Rebecca come have lunch with him and he wasn't the slightest bit embarrassed. His school treat were bomb pops. For dinner he wanted a Mexican spread. We had Spanish rice, my amazing (by our kids at least) beans, tacos, burritos and fixings to go with it all.
Simeon was suppose to have baseball practice and Corrine a softball game, but luckily for us it rained pretty good this afternoon and the city closed all the parks, so they both got cancelled. That meant we got to spend more family time together eating DQ treats while walking on the path by the river.


This year for presents he got a very nice sleeping bag, and sleeping mat from us. He also got sent on a scavenger hunt through the house to find his last present-a set of 3 street hockey balls. From family he got money, Legos, Nook gift card and more money.

A cute birthday story. At his family party he wanted a chocolate chocolate chip cake. We stuck the candles into his cake slice, but it started falling apart. Simeon asked to light the candles. So I'm holding the candles up and he lights the 1, then turns the match the wrong way to light the 2 and it burns his fingers, so he drops in on the table. He quickly blows it out and picks the match up. Meanwhile I thought the 1 was stable so I let go and it tumbles over. We caught it before it went and lit the 2 and sang Happy Birthday while his candles balanced crazily against each other.


As mom I've gone through some emotions with this birthday. Each birthday is special for each of our kids.  But turning 12 is huge for Simeon. he'll be be graduating from primary and going into the Young Men's program at church. He'll get the Aaronic Priesthood and will be able to pass the Sacrament. He will also be graduating from Elementary school and will be in Junior High next fall. Seeing Simeon so grown up and healthy has had me in tears many times this week. He wasn't guaranteed this birthday or any after his 5th birthday when he got leukemia. Each birthday I am so greatful that he is here and healthy and happy.

We love you Simeon. We're so proud of the amazing young man you have grown into!

Happy Birthday!!